Saltney man spared jail after attempted arson at family home

Martin Simmons, of High Street, Saltney, appeared before District Judge MC Jones after pleading guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and criminal damage.

The court heard that the incident took place on May 27 following an argument between Simmons, 28, and members of his family.

Prosecutor Emmalyn Dowling said the family had spent the day at a water park, but Simmons returned home early after feeling unwell.

When the rest of the family returned at around 5.30pm, he was lying on the living room sofa and did not respond when his mother asked him to move.

Later that evening, his sister challenged him about not helping around the house and asked him to tidy away the children’s toys.

The court heard that Simmons began throwing toys around the living room, prompting his sister to push him out of concern that they would be damaged.

He responded by grabbing her arms and pushing her onto the sofa before raising a toy in a threatening manner, although he put it down without striking her.

His mother then told him to leave the property.

Simmons left without his shoes before returning around 20 minutes later, shouting in the street.

The court heard Simmons pulled solar lights from the garden and threw them into the street before throwing a wheelie bin over the back garden fence.

He subsequently returned to the front door, where he was seen attempting to light an item before trying to push it through the letterbox.

The item was later identified as a burning toilet roll.

His sister captured part of the incident on her mobile phone, with the footage played to the court. Police were called and arrested Simmons outside the property.

Officers discovered burn marks on the path outside the front door, melted brushes inside the letterbox and a smashed solar light.

Simmons made no comment during his police interview, apart from answering questions about who had been present.

The court heard that he had no previous convictions, although he had received a spent caution for a similar offence.

The prosecution also confirmed that the family did not wish to provide a victim personal statement or seek a protective order, with his mother submitting a reference in support of him.

During sentencing, District Judge Jones described the seriousness of the offending, the incident had taken place in a domestic abuse context and had significantly affected the family.

The judge also considered a detailed pre-sentence report, which identified ongoing issues with Simmons’ emotional regulation and the need to improve his conflict resolution skills.

The court heard that he had been assessed as presenting a medium risk of serious harm.

However, the judge took into account his guilty pleas, lack of relevant previous convictions and the prospect of rehabilitation.

He concluded that the offence was serious enough to warrant a custodial sentence, but that it could be suspended.

Simmons was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for 24 months, for the arson offence, with no separate penalty imposed for criminal damage.

He must also complete 160 hours of unpaid work, attend an accredited programme of up to 26 sessions and comply with probation requirements.

The judge warned Simmons that failing to comply with the order or committing further offences could result in the prison sentence being activated.

He was ordered to pay £500 towards prosecution costs and a £187 surcharge, with payments of £100 every four weeks beginning on November 24.

No compensation order was made, with the judge acknowledging the difficulty of placing a financial value on the distress caused to the family.